2012 has been a muddled year for boxed blockbusters, with several established franchises showing distinct signs of wear and tear, but a triumphant one for digital gaming, thanks to a stellar run of Xbox Live Arcade releases. After due consideration and copious imbibing of energy drinks, we've singled out 10 that you shouldn't miss.
Read up on the best Xbox 360 games of 2013 if you've already exhausted last year's offerings.
10. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
The quintessential multiplayer-only shooter, reborn for console audiences - and a solid pick for those who consider ironsights to be the work of the Devil. Global Offensive's objective-based modes are classic Counter-Strike, allotting you one life and one life only per round, while new modes Arms Race and Demolition offer faster-paced, comparatively relaxed blasting to help laymen get started. A shortage of unlockables makes this very much a shooter for those looking to master the core mechanics. "Fight your way up the steep learning curve, beyond the sparse, static maps, and those 1200 MS Points will seem like a bargain," wrote our review. "Many, however, will start to hanker after something more complex and fulfilling long before mastering it.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive review
9. Awesomenauts
A funky, well-considered introduction to the generally impenetrable Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, dispensing with the usual genre fantasy archetypes in favour of cowboys and space aliens. Two teams of heroes must knock over each other's bases, aided by a stream of NPC "creeps" which serve as XP-grinding fodder. It's lightning-fast but intelligent stuff, helped along by solid splitscreen support. Matt went nuts for the game earlier this year in the form of several videos, one of which you'll find below.
8. Sine Mora
I know nothing of schmups, but Log fell head over heels in love with this one. "Once you pick up the ways in which it tests you, dicks you around, and emasculates you, it'll be one of the best abusive relationships you've ever been in," he wrote. In what appears to be a masterstroke, enemy bullets shave away seconds from your life-clock rather than damaging your craft. Killing enemies, by contrast, buys you additional longevity. You can find out more, bizarrely, in Log's OXM Breakdown on the subject of gay sex in Mass Effect 3.
26 comments so far...
Cokney Charmer on 10 Dec '12 said:
Sorry, but how the hell has Dust An Elysian Tail not made this top ten?
The work of a single man over 3 years who taught himself how to program an XBA game, one of the best and emotional connective stories on any Arcade game in 2012, and it doesnt make your top ten?
Its Absence demeans his so called top ten
DarthTwitch on 10 Dec '12 said:
Agreed. Fez made this list, yet Dust didn't?
LUCASH525 on 10 Dec '12 said:
well I'm pretty sure dust came out 2012 but don't hold it against me if I'm wrong
schwepterbrowser on 10 Dec '12 said:
Dust was a 2012 release, agreed that it deserved to make the list. Awesomenauts should also be higher!
Grummy on 10 Dec '12 said:
I would say it's because this has been a damn good year for XBLA releases, hell, Toejam & Earl didn't make the list. Also, Dust was incredibly dull.
PaladinRonin on 10 Dec '12 said:
Hear, hear.
I was just thinking that when I saw the list in full. Dust: An Elysian Tail is such a great game I honestly can't believe it's not on this list, but Fez is? Fez was overhyped and Dust hardly got any publisty in comparasan.
Dust: An Elyian Tail had great mechanics, chracters, enviroment and voice acting and was overall a great game. Hey,I even cried at the end and very few games have made me feel so emocional.
I honestly can't belive that it has not made this list.
PaladinRonin on 10 Dec '12 said:
But it was a great homage to classic arcade games made by one man. What did you not like about it?
OXM ETboy on 10 Dec '12 said:
I was strongly minded to put Dust in there - I was the guy who reviewed it - but not everybody at OXM is as convinced of its greatness. Also, you have to admit that the combat gets old. It's very slick and engaging, but there's no texture to it.
OXM ETboy on 10 Dec '12 said:
Also, we rate and/or slate games on their own merits, not on the merits of their authors.
PaladinRonin on 10 Dec '12 said:
I didn't find the combat getting old, in fact it was simple so it could appeal to all ages and I think that was partly what made it great. It's fun to pull off long chains with your easy-to-use powers and combos. Firestorm was just so awesome Then again, I do have incredible patence, lol.
I just think that Dust has been overlooked compeared to Fez and Awesomenauts, both of which were hyped and broadcast far more.
OXM ETboy on 10 Dec '12 said:
It's far from a bad combat system, but it could have done with an extra layer of moves. I'm sure the kiddies can take it
Agreed that Fez got more publicity - though it lost out heavily to Minecraft - but Awesomenauts? Lord, that game was forgotten before it even hit the launch pad.
Grummy on 10 Dec '12 said:
I'd like to retract my previous statement about Dust, I was thinking about a different game that I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. It's a game very reminiscent of populous, you just move around the little worlds raising and lowering the landscape to let your worshipers navigate.
OXM ETboy on 10 Dec '12 said:
You're thinking of From Dust, which I enjoyed up to a point. Lovely supporting technology, questionable game.
PaladinRonin on 10 Dec '12 said:
lol. Your thinking of From Dust.
PaladinRonin on 10 Dec '12 said:
I agree there could have been more to the combat in Dust.
Awesomenaughts forgotten? Not in the nerdy circles I run in. Your talking about a game which acts like a 90s Saturday morning cartoon. All my friends raved about it for weeks. XD
Grummy on 10 Dec '12 said:
That's the bugger. Man that was a dull game. As you say, it had lovely tech, but it just didn't do anything.
lazercut123 on 11 Dec '12 said:
Hi Lucas, it's joe. It may have just been a typo, but isn't the whole point of this article arcade games from 2012
lazercut123 on 11 Dec '12 said:
I thought from dust was a good game, not brilliant, but good. The last level (where you made your own level) was a fun replay able time.
One problem I found was that the stupid villagers always got stuck on the side of a mountain.
kronk10 on 11 Dec '12 said:
I was gonna say awesomenaut's as i have put in so much time playing but as it is now woefully outdated compared to the pc version i am gonna have to say mark of the assassin as it is an amazing game
kronk10 on 11 Dec '12 said:
edit i mean "mark of the ninja"
thewrongtrousers on 11 Dec '12 said:
Ha, I did exactly the same when I saw this yesterday, was going to say I didn't think Dust deserved to be in the top 10. As I had immediately thought they meant From Dust, not Dust: An Elysian Tail. Also I was pretty sure it was 2011 (which it was - my memory is terrible) - glad I didn't comment and make a fool of myself
ItchyRash on 11 Dec '12 said:
I've only just started to give XBLA a chance this year really. I was always turned off by it before as it seemed full of retro games with shoddy graphics but after playing Limbo I was sold. I'm a bit behind though but Dust is on my wish list. Think I might have to give Mark of the Ninja a try by the sounds of it. Also going to give Alan Wakes American Nightmare a blast. Just finished with Bastion. I know it wasn't a 2012 release but it really didn't blow me away like I was told it would. Any chance you might do a best of XBLA up until this point. Maybe a top 25. Whenever I look for lists of best XBLA games they're never up to date.
On the topic of From Dust I remember playing the demo as it looked fantastic and I was looking for a good god game but it just seemed so dull. Seemed like a really wasted opportunity
LUCASH525 on 11 Dec '12 said:
im ment didn't and hi joe
jakandtom94 on 11 Dec '12 said:
Great list, but I'd swap 1 and 2 around
How come with the review of The Walking Dead it seems to be the guy who REALLY hates the TV show that reviews it?
LTS_3 on 13 Dec '12 said:
I haven't played all of those games, but no DEADLIGHT?!
DarthTwitch on 23 Dec '12 said:
Well, yes - this is a list of the best 2012 Arcade games, after all...